Notorious (1946)
Notorious is an American spy film from 1946 directed by Alfred Hitchcock . The leading roles are played by Cary Grant , Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains . The film is one of Hitchcock's most famous works, and stands as an example of his way of making films. It was the first film for which Hitchcock was recognized as producer. In 2006, the film was included in the National Film Registry . Content * 1 Story * 2 Cast * 3 Background ** 3.1 Production ** 3.2 Actors ** 3.3 Production ** 3.4 Reception ** 3.5 Operations * 4 Awards and nominations Story The story is set just after the Second World War. The father of Alicia Huberman is just in the United States convicted of espionage. Alicia is approached by TR Devlin, who works for the US Secret Service to infiltrate a group of former Nazis who in Brazil have established, to find out what they are planning. Together, they fly to Rio . Along Alicia learns that her father suicide committed. Once in Rio explains Alicia while riding contact Alex Sebastian, an old friend of her father. Alicia does her job so well that Alex asks her to marry. She goes to his request in order to come closer to him and moves in with him. despite her future mother (who lives with Alex) do not trust her. While exploring the engagement party Alicia and Devlin Alex in his basement uranium powder stores. Alex finds out that Alicia has him. He must now see its silence on to explain, but must also keep his gaffe see hidden his fellow Nazis. He decides to play her game, but its slow poison. Devlin discovered it just in time, saves Alicia and flees with her. Alex stays behind and will have to face soon his clients with the news that he has failed. Cast * Ingrid Bergman : Alicia Huberman * Cary Grant : TR Devlin * Claude Rains : Alexander Sebastian * Leopoldine Konstantin Anna Sebastian (Alex's mother) * Louis Calhern : boss Devlin * Moroni Olsen : Walter Beardsley * Ricardo Costa: Dr. Julio Barbosa * Reinhold Schünzel Dr. Anderson * Ivan Triesault Eric Mathis * Eberhard Krumschmidt Emil Hupka * Alex Minotis: Joseph * Wally Brown : Mr. Hopkins * Sir Charles Mendl: Commodore * Fay Baker : Ethel It was a tradition that Alfred Hitchcock in his films a cameo had. In this film, he even had two: * After the trial is to see how he walks to the house of Alicia. * During the engagement party is to see how he drinks a drink. Background Manufacturing Notorious started as a production of David O. Selznick. The scenario was first discussed in August 1944 during a lunch Hitchcock and screenwriter Margaret McDonell, who worked for Selznick. Hitchcock became geïteresseerd in the story. Yet it took some time for the story received its final form. In a first version of the film was still about a woman who for political reasons would be sold as a prostitute. With Hitchcock Christmas that year went to England. On his return to America, he had himself a rough idea for the film. Selznick here gave its approval. This Hitchcock began with Ben Hecht, with whom he also collaborated on Spellbound, the idea to elaborate. The two spent a lot of changes to the first idea that Hitchcock had picked up from McDonell, such as the introduction of the uranium. That uranium was an important part of a potential nuclear bomb almost nobody knew at that time. Selznick therefore struggled to understand how important the discovery of the uranium was the plot of the story. Hitchcock and Hecht got their own words even temporarily, the FBI after him when she met Robert Millikan of Caltech had talked about uranium. The attack on Hiroshima by an atomic bomb, however, took the audience no doubt about the danger of uranium. In March 1945, Hitchcock gave him the screenplay and Hecht off by Selznick. However, at that time had problems with the production of its western Duel in the Sun , causing Notorious had to wait. In June 1945 Selznick gave no confidence to have more in Notorious. He was afraid that the other characters would not catch on with the public, and that the production the few reserves that he had was after Duel in the Sun ''drain. He agreed to sell the screenplay to RKO for $ 800,000 and 50% of the proceeds. Hitchcock allowed by RKO film besides directing also produce it yourself first. Actors According to biographer Patrick McGilligan was Hitchcock there during the 40's yet not once managed to get the perfect actors together for one of his films, but formed ''Notorious an exception. However, not everyone agrees with Hitchcock's choices. Selznick wanted, even though he had sold the rights to the film, like Joseph Cotten in the lead instead of Cary Grant. Grant had only become available after three months, while Selznick it as quickly as possible wanted to let the film come to ride on the news about the atomic bomb attacks on Japan. However, Hitchcock was adamant. Selznick did manage to get over the role of Hitchcock Alexander Sebastian not to Clifton Webb to give, but to Claude Rains. To do this, Hitchcock had to make some adjustments in the character Sebastian. For the role of Sebastian's mother were first Ethel Barrymore and Mildred Natwick approached. When they both did not get the role, the actor advised German Reinhold Schünzel Leopoldine Konstantin as a possible candidate. She was considered one of the best actresses of German World War II. Notorious was her only role in an American film. Production The first recordings of Notorious began on October 22, 1945. In February 1946 the recordings were completed. As usual in his films Hitchcock made record as many scenes in studios; even scenes that take place outside. This gave him namely maximum control over how everything should look like. The only scene outside a studio recording requirement was when Devlin and Alicia Alexander meet at a horse racetrack. This scene was shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia . For backgrounds were recordings made in Miami , Rio de Janeiro and Santa Anita Park . Production proceeded without too many problems. Well Hitchcock had occasionally be creative to achieve what he wanted. A well-known example is the scene in which the two main characters kiss each other for 2.5 minutes. Officially, there had been a ban on such long kusscènes in movies. To circumvent this, Hitchcock left the scene to pause for three seconds, so it was actually a long series of short kusscènes. The music is composed by Notorious for Roy Webb , a permanent composer at RKO. Reception Notorious premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on July 22, 1946. Hitchcock, Bergman and Grant attended the premiere. The film took in 4.8 million dollars in America, with which it became one of the most successful films of that year. Critics were very enthusiastic about the film. Bosley Crowther wrote in The New York Times a favorable review of Notorious. The generally negative critic Leslie Halliwell film also gave a good assessment. The film was also screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. Operations Lux Radio Theater edited the film in January 1948 to a radio play . Ingrid Bergman worked on also here. Another adaptation of the film was made for The Screen Guild Theater in 1949. In 1992 was a remake of the film made with the same title by John Shea as Devlin, Jenny Robertson as Alicia and Jean-Pierre Cassel as Sebastian. The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars includes an episode called Senate Spy, whose story is almost identical to that of Notorious. The film Mission Impossible II is usually seen as a remake of Notorious, but with a lethal virus rather than uranium. Awards and nominations Notorious in 1946 was nominated for the Grand Prize of the Festival at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1947 the film was nominated for two Oscars : * Best Supporting Actor (Claude Rains) * Best original screenplay (Ben Hecht) Category:Films 1946 Category:American film Category:Drama Movies Category:Spy Film Category:Films of Alfred Hitchcock Category:Film RKO Radio Pictures Category:Film in the National Film Registry